Terrific Tuesday

The students practiced keyboarding skills or read quietly before beginning math rotations.

During the small group instruction portion of math, students practiced decomposing tens and hundreds to subtract across zeroes (ex.  705-486).  Students continued playing Subtraction Bump to work on basic facts fluency, while working with a partner.  Finally, they visited the site Speed Grid, during the technology rotation to also work on basic subtraction facts.

For HOMEWORK the students need to solve a problem on Google Classroom and, in the comment section, identify the difference and what strategy they used to solve the problem and why it was the most efficient one to use.

After math, we didn't take a brain break because I wanted to get to our literacy block as soon as possible.

We began by reviewing the independent tasks for the week.  As I have mentioned before, I am making a big push to integrate science and social studies into our literacy block.  This allows me to spend more time with small groups.  This week the students will watch a Brain Pop Jr. video about local and state government and complete a capture sheet for a social studies grade.  For science they will view a Brain Pop Jr. video about gravity and write about gravity's impact on an object.  Each reading group will have independent tasks which will be included in the blurbs below.  We will be focusing on identifying the main idea and key supporting details and understanding unknown words using the known meaning of common root words.  For writing we will integrate definitions of vocabulary into our writing and use conjunctions to links ideas in our writing.

Panthers:  I will now meet with this group prior to lunch and recess.  Today I collected the Whose Way Today book.  Then I handed out a new, non-fiction book called, A Whole New World.  We began by revisiting the characteristics of non-fiction text and the purpose of text features.  Then the students previewed the book and shared one text feature they found.  After that we focused on using the heading and fist sentence of a section to help us identify the main idea.  Then we read the section and listed key details that supported the main idea.  For HOMEWORK the students need to read pages 2-8 and list unknown words on a sticky note.

Following lunch and recess the students continued working independently while I met with more groups.

Tigers:  Independently the students watched a Brain Pop Jr. video about identifying the main idea in text.  In group we began by reviewing the characteristics of non-fiction text.  Then we worked on decoding words with two vowels walking with the first one saying its name (review) and then words with a vowel-consonant-e pattern with the e making the vowel  say its name.  After that, the students put these rules to work as they did a first reading of the bones and muscles section on pages 4-7.  For HOMEWORK the students need to read pages 8-11, twice.

Lions:  The children identified, in writing, and explained two examples from their book that proved it is realistic fiction.  In group we shared what surprised them and the questions they had from their reading last night.  For HOMEWORK the students need to read pages 89-112.  They need to write one question they can ask their classmates about this section.

Leopards:  The students read chapter 5 and listed key details from it.  IN group we shared and listed the key details from chapter 3, 4 and 5.  Then the students analyzed the list to determine what these details have in common.  I pointed out that they are all tied to change.  For HOMEWORK the students are to read chapter 6 and identify an example of change, on a sticky note.

After our literacy block, I handed out unfinished work folders to the class.  You should NOT see these....they should STAY at school.  If it comes home, please return it.

Next, I passed back the graded personal narratives.  These are coming home today.  Please look them over and discuss the feedback with your child.

Finally, we had a brief discussion about making appropriate choices during independent work time.

The students ended the day with a visit from our guidance counselor, Ms. Snyder.  She read a book called, How Full is Your Bucket? and then the students brainstormed ways they can fill other people's buckets.

Picture Day is Thursday.  Order forms will be coming home tomorrow.